


Avatar: A New World

by Dieinafire33



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Bending (Avatar), Blood and Violence, Brainwashing, Canon-Typical Violence, Earth Kingdom (Avatar), Earthbending & Earthbenders, Fire Nation (Avatar), Firebending & Firebenders, Gen, Korrasami is Canon, Mind Control, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Post-The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars, Water Tribe(s) (Avatar), Waterbending & Waterbenders, its good I swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27276112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dieinafire33/pseuds/Dieinafire33
Summary: The New Earth Democratic Republic takes in four children, any of which could be the Avatar, and trains them to serve the new world.
Kudos: 6





	1. The New Avatar Project

"Have you all had your lessons with Master Maiza?" She asked.   
The children nodded and confirmed that they had had their lessons.   
The five of them sat in a circle in the stone classroom.   
"Good. We'll go around the circle and answer some questions. First: who was Amon? Firi?"  
Firi sat up straight and cleared her throat before announcing, "Amon was the leader of the Equalists, a group of anti-bending radicals that sought to overthrow the world order."  
"Good, good. Poni, can you give us some more details?"  
Poni leaned back in his smooth stone chair. With a flick of his wrist, the stone flexed and bent to match the contour of Poni's back.   
"Amon always wore a mask to hide his identity. He had the ability to take away people's bending, and I don't think anybody besides the Avatar had ever done that before," he said.   
"Yes, Amon was the first non-Avatar to be able to strip someone of their bending abilities. Rang, can you pick up where Poni left off?"  
Rang cracked his knuckles and brushed his hair out of his face before speaking, "Amon's ability to take away bending came from his bloodbending abilities. He was able to stop the flow of energy to your active chakras, which stopped any bending. He was, despite being anti-bender, a waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe. His father was a crime boss, named Yakone, and his brother was former councilman-"  
"Show-off," Poni mumbled.   
Rang stopped and shot Poni a glare.   
"Poni, that was very mean. Rang has a good memory and is very interested in this topic, and he should talk about it as long as he wants," Hishi scolded, "but we should be moving on. We have much to cover."  
"Amon wanted freedom," Maku said without prompt.   
Hishi's eyes snapped to the child on her right.   
"That's right, Maku. Amon wanted freedom. Amon was much like an airbender in that regard, don't you all think?" Hishi asked.   
"I don't get it," Poni said.   
"Why don't we have Maku explain further?" Hishi nudged.  
A lump formed in Maku's throat.   
Rang kicked Maku in the shin lightly.   
"Come on," Rang whispered.   
Maku stuttered as words spilled out of his mouth, folding over and over themselves, "Air is the element of freedom. Amon just wanted people to be free, and so that makes him like an airbender."  
"But he wasn't an airbender," Poni said.   
"He was like one, Poni. We know he wasn't an airbender," Rang said.   
"How can he be-" The classroom door's squeaky hinge cut Poni off.   
"Hishi, meeting in twenty," Maiza said. He left the door open and walked away.   
"Alright! It seems that we're a little short on time today. Who wants to finish off the day with a little bit of sparring?" Hishi asked. She collapsed the chairs into the floor with her earthbending before raising a wall that split the room in half.   
"It's my turn to pick a partner!" Firi shouted. She stomped with her right foot, sending a section of the wall back into the floor. She grabbed Poni and shoved him to the other side of the wall before following.   
"Firi has clearly chosen Poni. Maku, Rang, go at it." Hishi said. 

* * *

Firi and Poni circled each other.   
"Two hand touch?" Poni asked. Firi nodded.   
"You're going down," Firi said. She cracked her knuckles and stretched her arms back.   
"Doubt it. You want the first hit?" Poni taunted.   
Firi launched herself forward. A wall shot out of the floor and knocked her back.   
"You seperated yourself from the floor. That's your first mistake!"  
The ground under Poni's feet wrapped around his feet and ankles, rooting him.  
"I know what I'm doing!" Firi shouted. She stomped and lifted six discs of earth into the air around her.   
"Only six? You're going easy on me," Poni said.   
"Seven, actually," Firi said. A disc crashed into Poni's back.   
"Not fair!" Poni shouted. The earth around his feet melted as he charged forward. A wall rose behind Firi, blocking her escape.   
The wall turned to liquid as Firi phased through it. Poni's arm followed before the wall turned solid once more and trapped him.   
Firi popped out from behind and wall and leaned against its edge.   
"We've got a few minutes. Want to talk?" Firi asked.  
"Yeah. Did you listen to last night's match with the Silver Dragons?" Poni asked.  
"No, that's when I had my lesson with Maiza. Who won?" Firi replied.   
"Dragons, earthbending tie-breaker. You think they're gonna open up the airbending league?" Poni said as he pulled his arm from its hold in the earth.  
"I don't know how they would, considering you won't be able to see most of the action," Firi said.   
"That's fair," Poni said. He sat on the floor and rolled onto his back. Firi sat down next to him.   
"So, think Maku is the Avatar?" Firi said. The two laughed before receiving a sharp glare over the wall from Hishi.  
"No way. If it's not you, it's me," Poni said.   
"What about Rang?" Firi asked.   
"I don't think he has the guts for it. He's smart, but he isn't a very good bender," Poni explained.   
"When do you think we'll get our animal guides?" Firi asked.   
"Master Noda said that once we turn fourteen we'll get to choose," Poni said.   
"I can't wait four more years. I want a pygmy puma. What about you?" Firi said.   
"I'd like to have a cat, they seem nice from what I've read," Poni said.   
"Boring!" Firi said. She took both hands and thrust them onto Poni's chest, "I win!"

* * *

"Two hand touch," Rang said. He traced an arc with his foot and stomped, summoning four balls of earth into the air behind him.   
Maku mimicked his opponent's movements. Four small shards of earth broke out from the floor and hovered around him.  
"You want to try again?" Rang asked.   
Maku shook his head.   
"Are you sure? You didn't bring up a lot of earth," Rang insisted.   
Maku lunged forward, firing a shard of earth at Rang's head. The shard collided with one of Rang's balls and turned to dust, barely denting the ball.  
"Come on, Maku. You're stronger than that, just summon more earth," Rang said. He dropped his spheres of rock back into the floor and summoned a gauntlet of stone onto his hand.   
"Stop going easy on me!" Maku shouted. He dashed forward and launched a kick.   
Rang's gauntlet clasped hard around Maku's ankle and twisted, spinning the boy onto the ground.   
Maku rolled to his feet and launched another kick. A wall of earth blocked him.  
"Try to summon a gauntlet, we'll go for punches," Rang offered.   
Maku spit into the floor and stomped. A flat square of earth shot up from the floor and hovered in front of him.  
"Hey, that's a good shield! Good move!" Rang encouraged. He punched the shield, pushing it back into Maku's chest.   
Maku grabbed Rang by the shoulders and whacked their heads together. The two children recoiled and fell onto the floor. 

* * *

Hishi stepped forward from the corner of the room and collapsed the wall between the two sparring matches.   
"I'm going to call Rang and Maku a tie for today. Firi defeated Poni, good job Firi. Any major injuries?" Hishi asked.   
The children looked at each other.   
"Good. Head to the dining hall and get lunch. You'll have a lesson with Master Noda afterward."   
Hishi escorted the children out of the classroom. The children went left while she went right. 

* * *

The door to the meeting room squeaked as it always did. Hishi stepped into the small, square room and sat at the table.   
"You're late," Maiza said.   
"You're ugly," Hishi said.   
Maiza laughed and stroked his beard.   
"How was class today? Did they bother remembering what I taught them?" Maiza asked.  
"It went fine. Rang knew most of it, as usual, but I finally got Maku to give me a good answer," Hishi said.   
The door of the meeting room squeaked.   
"I am glad you two showed up. We have a mission from the Executive Councilman," Noda said.   
"You can call him by his first name, you know," Maiza said.   
"He is the Executive Councilman, is he not?" Noda asked.  
"Is he really that executive? He hardly speaks to the council," Maiza said.   
"What's the mission, Noda?" Hishi interrupted.   
"You must assassinate a target in Ba Sing Se," Noda said. He set a folder down on the table and slid it to Hishi.   
"During the election? Don't tell me, we're taking out the president's competition?" Hishi asked.   
"No, no. President Shi would not dare make his reelection unfair. Your target will be a traveller, guarded by the White Lotus," Noda explained.  
"I thought the Lotus was searching for the Avatar down south in Zaofu," Maiza commented.   
"They are. This will be a small detatchment, only fifteen sentries," Noda said.   
Hishi peeked in the folder.   
"You're joking," she said.   
"We must destroy all traces of the previous Avatar. She is one of few remnants that is not under the Executive Councilman's direct protection," Noda explained.   
"Yeah, I get that part, but..." Hishi's voice trailed off. She slid the folder to Maiza.   
Maiza opened the folder. A photo fell onto the floor.   
"At least she's not a bender," he said.   
"Who do you think is going to get her company when she's gone?" Hishi asked.  
"We have checked. It falls under control of the Republic of Nations, they'll use it as a military-industrial company," Noda said.   
"Does this really need to be a two-man job?" Maiza asked, "I feel like I could handle this on my own,"  
"She is giving a speech at Ba Sing Se University. If you would bother to look in the folder for more than one second, you would know that. The goal is to kill her during the speech. One of you is to act as a distraction, while the other is to make the kill. It is up to you who does what," Noda explained.   
Hish sighed and sunk down in her chair.   
"Maiza, go warm up the car. I guess we're doing it," Hishi said with a sigh, "we're killing Asami Sato."


	2. Assassination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The assassination of Asami Sato doesn't quite go as planned, and disaster strikes The Compound.

President Shi Maahan's voice crackled over the radios of Ba Sing Se.   
"Democracy is the greatest gift our republic has ever recieved! I seek my second term to be able to bask in the glory of being your public servant for ten more years. Serving the New Earth Democratic Republic is the greatest honor that has ever been bestowed upon me," he said.   
Maiza and Hishi weaved their way through the crowds of the market.   
"I hate that guy's voice," Maiza said.   
"He's your boss, show some respect," Hishi said.   
"Hardly. I've only met the guy once."  
"At least he bothered to meet you."  
Hishi looped her arm through Maiza's and pulled him to the side of the street.   
"What's the deal?" Maiza asked. His body tensed as sparks danced along the edges of his fingers.   
"Relax. I just want some food," Hishi explained.   
"I am going to kill you. Why didn't you just say that?" Maiza asked. He crossed his arms and followed Hishi down the edge of the street toward a food stall.   
"Relax. You get too nervous on days like this," Hishi said. She rubbed Maiza's back as they sat down at the stall.   
"Six buns, please," Hishi said. She slid a stack of pink bills across the counter, "do you take Yuan?"  
The old woman on the other side of the counter nodded happily and accepted the money.   
Hishi nudged Maiza with her elbow.  
"You alright? You've been on-edge every since we got into the city," Hishi asked. She spun on her stool to face the street and leaned against the counter.  
"I'm fine." Maiza said.   
"Really?"  
"Really."  
"You're not."  
"I"m not," Maiza admitted.   
"What is it?" Hishi asked.  
"I don't want to do the job," Maiza said.   
"I'm sure I could handle it,"  
"I don't want anyone to do the job." Maiza snapped.   
A plate of buns slid across the counter.   
"It's from Rohan, we can't exactly say no," Hishi said.   
"You think I don't know that?" Maiza said, "it doesn't feel right. Something in my gut is telling me that killing Sato isn't needed. What are the chances she even meets one of the kids? Sure, she'll probably side with the White Lotus, but I think that we've got more control over them than she ever could."  
"We can go stop by the office, see if Rohan is willing to have a little chat," Hishi offered.   
Maiza stuffed a bun into his mouth.   
Throngs of people moved back and forth through the crowded street like an endless ocean with endless waves.   
"So? We going to see Rohan?" Hishi asked.   
Maiza groaned as he slid off of the stool.   
"Yeah, I guess we are. How long until Sato goes on?" Maiza asked.   
"Around an hour. Let's get to the offices, hope Rohan is even there," Hishi said.

* * *

"Do we knock? Should we have called ahead of time?" Hishi asked.   
Maiza stepped into the Presidential Offices with Hishi close behind.   
"What, no secretary? No security?" Hishi said.   
A desk sat in the corner of the room, abandoned.   
"They must be taking the day off because of the election-"   
The floor slid out from beneath Maiza's feet.   
"Maiza! To what do I owe the honor?" A voice called out from the top of the stairs.   
A man in his fifties with a long mustache and beard. His hair was slicked back into a ponytail. His piercing green eyes scanned the room.   
"President Maahan, I wasn't expecting you to be here," Maiza said. He bowed before his employer. Hishi stumbled over her own foot in an attempt to follow suit.   
"I take it this is Hishi, who I regret not meeting upon her hiring," President Maahan said.   
"I'm Hishi, yes. It's an honor to meet you, sir," she said.   
President Maahan squinted at Hishi for a moment before turning his back to the pair.   
"You're nervous, Maiza. Relax. Tell me what you're here for," President Maahan said.   
"We're here to see the Executive Councilman, sir," Maiza answered.   
"He's in his office. I'll leave you three be," Maahan said. He returned to his office. 

Maiza banged his fist on the door to Rohan's office.   
"Rohan! It's Maiza!" He shouted.   
The door flew open to reveal a tiny office covered in papers.   
"I know it's you, you're the only guy with the audacity to knock like that besides Shi," Rohan said, "Hishi, good to see you too. I'd ask you to step inside but I don't think there's much space. They had to bump me down to a smaller office. Holding up the facade and all that."  
"I don't want to do the Sato job," Maiza said.   
"The what?"  
"What?"  
Maiza, Hishi, and Rohan exchanged confused looks.   
"The job to kill Asami Sato? I got it yesterday. I don't want to do it," Maiza said again.  
"Maiza, I didn't send a job to kill Sato. Why would I want Sato killed?" Rohan asked.   
"This has your signature on it, it's official and everything!" Maiza said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.   
Rohan examined the piece of paper.  
"That's definitely my signature, but I didn't write it. My messenger has been out all week, and the guards are supposed to confirm the identity of everyone who even gets close to the compound," Rohan explained.   
His breathing stopped. His eyes grew wide as his hands turned pale.   
"Get out of here, get back to the compound. I'll make a distraction," Rohan said.   
"What do you mean? Distraction for what?" Hishi asked.   
"Red Lotus. They're above Shi's office. He and I can handle it, you go protect the kids. Once I'm clear, I'll fly down there and make sure everything is okay,"   
Crash!  
The roof of Shi's office caved in. The door blasted off of its hinges, knocking Rohan onto his back.   
Maiza threw himself down the stairs and took off wish Hishi behind him.   
"We need to steal a ride!" Hishi shouted. The street was empty. Three figures cast defined shadows over Hishi and Maiza.   
"Remember last Union Day?" Maiza said. Hishi pressed her back against his.   
"Three waterbenders tried to mug you and I saved your life?" Hishi taunted.   
"Exactly."  
Three Red Lotus sentries jumped from the top of the offices.   
Hishi pulled six knives out of her pocket. A wire connected them to her palm.   
A blast of lightning tore from Maiza's hand and passed through a sentry's chest, killing him instantly.   
"Two on two! This'll be easy!" Hishi shouted.   
Maiza ducked as Hishi spun her knives above her head. They fired off at one of the sentries and hooked into his back. Maiza yanked on the cables and blasted lightning through them, frying the sentry alive.   
The remaining sentry slowly took his stance.   
"What are you, an earthbender?" Maiza taunted. He launched a barrage of fire blasts, dodged expertly by his opponent.   
"Maiza! Airbender!" Hishi shouted. She pulled her knives out of the corpse and disconnected the wires from her hand.   
An air cyclone launched Maiza into the sky.   
Three knives planted themselves in the sentry's eyes as the other three sunk into his stomach. The wires constricted themselves around his throat.   
"Maiza! You good?" Hishi shouted.   
Maiza gave a weak shout from across the road, "Broken leg, but I'll live! Get a car already!"  
Hishi earthbent the door off of a nearby cabbage car. She pressed her thumb against the ignition and closed her eyes. The car started without a hitch.   
"Maiza, hobble over here!"   
Maiza did as he was told and threw himself into the passenger side of the car.   
The duo raced through the streets of Ba Sing Se past crowds of citizens and police heading in the other direction.  
"Do you think Rohan is gonna be okay?" Maiza shouted.   
"I hope so! But we've got more to worry about!"

* * *

"Feet apart, hands in front of you," Noda instructed the children. He took a loose stance at the edge of the compound's pool.   
The children awkwardly surrounded the pool and took their stances.   
Noda looked from child to child.   
"Firi, your stance needs to be more loose. Think of your body for what it is: a big meat sack filled with water. Wiggle your water around a little," Noda said with a laugh like a hyena.   
Firi set her feet further apart. She kicked Maku in the ankle, knocking him off-balance. Maku recovered quickly and took his stance again.  
"Good recovery, Maku. Waterbending is all about shifting your weight and your energy. Firi, cut it out," Noda ordered.   
"Master Noda, why are we learning waterbending today? We were supposed to have a lesson with you today on spirits," Rang said.   
"You will not be able to waterbend if you can not accept change, Rang. Nothing is wrong. Relax," Noda said wistfully. He raised his hands and brought up a ball of water from the pool.   
Poni slowed his breathing and loosened his stance.   
"Good, Poni. Your body might be in it, but is your mind?" Noda said. 

The pool room shook. A metallic screeching echoed down the empty hallways of the compound.   
Noda leaped into the pool and emerged on the other side.   
"Don't leave this room. When I leave, barricade the door as much as you can. Work together. Alright?" Noda ordered.  
Screams of agony flowed through the air and into the ears of the four children.   
"I have to go!" Noda shouted. He ran out of the pool room and went right.   
Firi stomped and sent a wave through the stone floor. Several thin pillars rose from the ground and formed a barricade against the door.   
"We need more. Poni, help me out," she said.   
Firi and Poni took wide stances in front of the door. Summoning stone from the floor, they added more and more layers to the barricade until it was several inches thick.   
"You don't want to go out and see what's going on?" Rang asked.  
The four children looked at each other in silence for a moment.   
"Yeah, I'm game," Poni said.   
"I can handle whatever they throw at me!" Firi shouted.   
"Maku?" Rang asked. He nudged his friend with his elbow.   
"Master Noda said not to leave, and I don't know what's going on," Maku said sheepishly.   
"I'm not surprised. Let's go, Maku can stay here," Poni said.   
Poni and Firi approached the door. The center of the barricade slid back into the floor.   
Rang looked back at Maku with regret in his eyes.   
"You sure you aren't coming?" He asked.   
Maku clenched his fists and stepped forward.   
"I'm going. Let's do this," Maku said confidently.   
The four children stepped quietly through the gap in the barricade and shut it behind them.   
"Noda went right," Rang said, "We can probably follow the sound of-"  
Noda's limp body slammed into the wall at the end of the hallway. Blood sprayed from his shoulder as he crumpled to the floor.   
"We're going left!" Rang shouted. Poni gripped the metal floor with his bending and tore it up, forming a short barrier.   
The children scrambled down the hallway.   
"Down here!" A voice called out from the other end. Footsteps stamped through the iron corridor toward the children.   
"We've got a problem!" Firi shouted. A knife glided through the air and planted itself in the wall above her head.   
The children rounded a corner and piled into Noda's office.   
"The door! Block the door!" Rang shouted. Poni jammed the door handle with a slab of metal.   
"What do we do?" Maku yelled over his peers.   
"We should have stayed in the pool!"   
"We can fight back!"  
"No we can't!"  
A fireball blew the door off its hinges sent shards of metal flying across the room.   
Firi stepped forward. Poni, Rang, and Maku hid behind her.   
A man in a red cloak stood in the doorway.   
"You're coming with me," he said in a gravelly voice.  
A spike of ice forced its way through the man's back and out the other side. The man slid off of the ice and fell forward.   
"I told you to stay put!" Noda screamed. He bent the ice onto his arm, forming a collapsing gauntlet. He rushed to his desk and flipped it, forming a barricade.   
"Everyone behind the desk, and don't you dare move!" Noda shouted. He pressed his hand against the wall and closed his eyes.   
"Master Noda, what are you doing?" Rang asked as he peeked over the desk.   
"The desk, Rang! And shut it!" Noda shouted again.   
The wall split open, spraying water into the room from the pipes. Noda bent a wall of water where the door was and froze it solid.   
"That won't hold them for long," Rang said. Noda spun on his heel and glared at the child.   
"You are the most idiotic children I have ever encountered! How hard is it to stay put and make a barricade?" Noda screamed at the children.   
He turned around and blasted the wall of ice outward, crushing three more invaders.   
"Firi. In the back of the room, there's a tiny hole in the wall. Metalbend the inside of that hole and pull as hard as you can," Noda ordered.   
Firi rushed to the back of the room and began searching.   
"That wall is going to open up. All of you get inside and shut the wall over you. Stay silent, make sure they don't find you," Noda said.  
"Who are they?" Rang asked.   
"The Red Lotus. They want to kill the Avatar," Noda explained.   
The wall tore open with a metallic screech, revealing a cavity just large enough for four children.   
"Get in!" Noda shouted.   
The children piled into the dark hole in the wall which Firi closed shut behind them.   
Maku peeked through the hole into the office.   
Noda surrounded his body in water and froze it, making a suit of armor. He trudged out of the office and turned the corner.   
"What's going on, Maku?" Rang asked, trying to get a peek out of the hole.   
"Nothing good," Maku mumbled.   
A lightning bolt screamed through the air and passed through Noda's chest, blasting him into the wall.   
A Red Lotus sentry marched over Noda's limp body and into the office.   
"We need a metalbender!" The sentry shouted down the hallway. She cradled a fireball in her hands.   
Maku's body tensed. A buzzing filled his head and his vision grew blurry.   
The wall tore open. Four Red Lotus members stood with weapons poised at the children.   
Maku felt his soul leave his body.   
The water from the wall leaped out and turned to ice, impaling a sentry.   
Two more spikes came from the ground, skewering two more.   
The remaining sentry thrust forward with a knife. The knife flew out of his hand and into his chest.   
Maku launched himself forward, spinning and dancing, summoning the water around him.   
"You're joking," Rang mumbled.   
Maku stood poised over Noda's body and launched spears of ice down the hall, striking down sentry after sentry. 

Maiza rounded the corner and dropped to his knees, barely dodging an ice spear.   
"Rohan! He's glowing!" The kid is glowing!" He shouted behind him.   
Maku lunged forward, hurling a spiked ball of ice at Maiza.   
Maiza let loose a gout of fire that reduced the ice to nothing.   
"Maku, kid, it's me! It's alright!"   
Steam began to fill the hall.   
Maku panted as he fought to regain control over his body. 

"Let me handle this."

  
A voice in Maku's head. He had never heard it before, but it was familiar.   
Hishi peeked around the corner and pulled Maiza back.   
"He's not going to listen, this is just like last time," she said to Maiza.   
Rohan pressed himself against the wall next to Hishi.   
"This my job?" he asked.   
"Yeah, it's your job. I really thought we got him this time around," Hishi said.   
Rohan stepped around the corner with his hands up.   
"It's me! Relax!" Rohan shouted.   
Maku bared his teeth.   
Rohan pulled his lips into a forced smile.   
"It's Rohan! You know me, right?" Rohan said through his forced smile.  
He stepped forward.   
And then another step.  
And then another.   
Rohan threw his body forward, blasting Maku's eyes with a gust of steam. Rohan lunged forward and tackled Maku, jabbing him in a specific point on his back.   
Maku went limp. The water around him fell and the ice began to melt.   
Rohan panted as he lifted the sleeping child into his arms.   
Hishi rushed into Noda's office. Firi, Poni, and Rang clung to her the moment she got close enough to grab.   
"We're alright, we're safe," she said.   
Rohan handed Maku's body to Maiza and leaned in close.   
"Take him to the room, we'll deal with the others later," he said to Maiza.

Maiza slung Maku over his shoulder and brought him to the furthest end of the compound.

The programming room. 


	3. Codeword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The caretakers must deal with the aftermath of the Red Lotus attack.

"Can't we just program him and get it over with?" Noda asked.   
"He's never hit the state on his own, I activated him last time. We need to see what's different," Rohan explained.   
Maiza and Hishi stood at two computers across the cramped programming room.   
"Undo his previous programming, you got the frequencies?" Rohan asked.  
"Got it," Maiza responded.   
Maku's eyes slowly fluttered open. His legs and hands were strapped onto the programming chair. A metal dome sat on top of his head.   
"Maku is awake," Noda said.  
"Yeah, I got that, Noda," Rohan said. He squatted down in front of the programming chair.   
"Hey, kiddo. You doing alright?" Rohan asked tenderly.   
"My head hurts really bad. What happened?" Maku asked.   
"You went into the Avatar State. It must have scrambled your eggs pretty bad," Rohan said.   
"Why am I strapped down? Where am I?" Maku continued his questions.   
"Maiza, hit him with the reverse. Let's unlock him," Rohan ordered.   
Maiza entered several keystrokes into the computer and flipped a large switch. Electricity buzzed around Maku's head, a gentle hum that lulled him into feeling safe.   
"You are the Avatar. You will no longer inhibit your abilities, nor your thoughts. You are the Avatar. Your mind is yours again," Rohan read.   
Maku's eyes slammed shut. He struggled against his bindings as the electric hum grew louder and louder.   
"Your mind is yours again. Codeword: Ba Sing Se," Rohan said.   
The room's lights flickered on and off. The programming chair rumbled as Maku tugged harder and harder against his restraints. 

Click. 

* * *

_I was born ten years ago in Ba Sing Se._  
_The moment Avatar Korra died._  
_I wasn't able to earthbend until I was eight years old._  
_That was two years after they took me._

_The White Lotus arrived on my sixth birthday. My parents were elated._  
_They told my parents I was their last option. Every other child they had investigated in Ba Sing Se had gone missing, and they believed someone was hunting down the potential Avatar faster than they could protect them._  
_The Grand Lotus stayed with us for diner. My parents made koi and papaya. That night, the White Lotus put me in the back of an armored truck and took me to their hidden compound._  
_Or at least, that's what they wanted._  
_The front right tire of the truck blew out halfway there. The air inside had expanded, destroyed it from the inside._  
_My guards were killed, and Rohan pulled me out of the truck. He knocked me out and by the time I woke up, I was inside the compound with three other children._  
_I thought my parents didn't want me._  
_I thought they didn't care._

_I was eight years old. My earthbending had just shown. Hishi was proud of me._  
_Or was she lying?_  
_It didn't matter. I was able to muster up earth and throw it, and that's all I cared about. I was finally going to catch up to Poni and Firi._  
_I activated the Avatar State. I blasted Poni with fire._  
_He still has the burn on his foot. He doesn't talk about, nobody talks about it._  
_We were programmed not to._

_Rohan hit me in the back and I could feel the energy leave me._  
_He brought me into this chair and put the dome on my head._  
_He programmed me. Codeword: Unagi._  
_I'm the Avatar._  
_We are the Avatar._  
_Korra and I._  
_She knows I'm trapped. She wants to set me free._  
_I want to be free._  
_Free!_

* * *

Maku's eyes glowed a searing white. The chair beneath him burned from the legs-up, the helmet above him crumpling like foil.   
"You're liars! You lied to me!" He shouted in a voice that was not his own.   
An air blast knocked Rohan to the floor.   
"Maku! It's alright, calm down!" Rohan shouted. The metal walls of the room began to cave in and glow red.   
The cuffs on Maku's wrists and ankles shattered.   
"Hishi, restrain the kid!" Rohan shouted. Slabs of metal tore off of the wall and clasped onto Maku's arms and legs, binding him once more.   
Rohan leaped to his feet and charged forward, deftly striking Maku at several points along his spine.   
The glow faded from Maku's eyes. He went limp and fell forward.   
Rohan caught the boy and propped him back up in the chair.   
"Hishi, reshape the helmet. He's only going to be out for a few minutes. Maiza, go check on the others, make sure they're still sleeping. We've got a lot of programming to do," Rohan ordered.  
"Got it," Hishi said.   
"Meeting in two hours. Noda, you're in charge of programming. Codeword: Kyoshi, for all of them," Rohan said.   
"Yes, sir," Noda said dutifully.   
Rohan left the programming room behind and made his way to his rarely used office at the compound.   
Dust covered the phone. He put the handset to his head and put in the only number he had memorized. 

"Shi?" Rohan called out.   
"Rohan, what's the situation like?" President Maahan answered.   
"The Red Lotus were defeated by the time we got here. Noda did a real number on them," Rohan said.  
"The children?"  
"They're safe. They didn't see any combat."  
"No Avatar State?"   
"No, sir. We have our theories on who the Avatar might be, but nothing conclusive."  
"Who's the most likely candidate?"   
"Firi."  
"Who?"  
"Candidate Two, the girl."  
"Oh, her. She does have the best grip over earthbending and metalbending, doesn't she?"  
"Yes, sir. I would reccomend training her as a soldier even if she weren't the Avatar."  
"Oh, Rohan, you know we can't do that," President Maahan said. "Increase combat training and spirit lessons, we need to trigger the Avatar State."  
"Yes, sir."  
A dull ringing buzzed from the phone receiver.   
Rohan placed the phone back on the desk and headed to the meeting room. 

* * *

"That was fast. You get all of them programmed?" Rohan asked.   
"Yes. There was no resistance," Noda said.   
Hishi and Maiza slipped through the door into the meeting room.   
"You two are late. What could you have possibly-"  
The lights went out.   
Rohan stood up from his chair.  
"Sit down, we have five minutes until the backup generators kick on and I'm only going to say this once," Rohan ordered.   
Hishi and Maiza sat in their chairs and gave each other confused glances.   
"It's time you all finally understood the goal of this project," Rohan said, "your mind is your's again. Codeword: Dancing Dragon."  
Noda jumped back from the table. He formed a blade out of the water from his flask and froze it.   
"I'm sorry that I've had to program you before, but it was a necessity. I needed to wipe your minds of any record of Maku's Avatar State," Rohan explained.   
"You can't do this to me! What else have I forgotten? What else, Rohan?" Noda shouted.   
"Noda, calm down. Let me explain," Rohan insisted.   
Noda clenched his ice knife tighter.   
"You have four minutes," Noda said.   
Rohan sat in his chair and scooted close to the table.   
"As you've hopefully remembered, Shi wants to use the Avatar as a tool. He plans to, once the Avatar is an adult, use him as leverage to get more states to join the republic. Once he has their support, his first target with be the Republic of Nations," Rohan explained  
"Target?" Hishi asked. "You mean he's going to war?"   
"I'm afraid so. Shi has had this planned since the beginning," Rohan said.   
"A war. I can't believe it. Nothing like this has happened since the Earth Empire," Maiza said.   
"What about us? What does that make us?" Noda asked.   
"We're tools as well. Shi may have been right about the flaws of the White Lotus, but we're no better. I hope you can all see the option we have to take," Rohan said.   
The four sat in silence for a moment.   
"We have to set him free, don't we?" Hishi asked.   
Rohan nodded.   
"I'm going to have to program all of you to forget this. I promise, the day we free Maku, I will undo all of the programming. We'll break free," he said.   
Noda melted his knife and slipped the water back into his flask.   
"How long until we do it?" He asked.   
"Four years. We have to do our best to equip Maku with what we can until then."  
The lights buzzed softly as the backup generators came on.   
Rohan nodded to his accomplices. The four of them made their way to the programming room.

The plan would begin in four years.  



	4. Four Years Later

The children sat in a circle around Hishi.   
"We've all had our lessons with Maiza?" She asked.   
The children nodded.   
"Good, good. Who would like to start our review?" She asked.   
Rang's hand shot up.   
"Kuvira attempted to unite the Earth Kingdom under one banner by forcing states under her control," Rang said.   
"That's good, Rang. Nice and simple," Hishi said, "Firi?"   
"She was a very skilled metalbender," Firi said.   
"She was very strong, yes. Her aggression was very similar to that of the most brutal firebenders," Hishi explained.   
"Can we spar already?" Poni whined.   
"Poni, you know we must review-"   
A knock at the door.   
Noda peeked his head into the classroom.   
"There is a meeting in twenty minutes, Hishi," he said.  
"Thank you, Noda," Hishi said with a wave.  
Poni laughed and collapsed his chair into the floor.   
Hishi groaned as she did the same.   
"Poni, since you're so eager to get up and moving, you can go to Maku's room to check on him. Don't get too close, though. I don't want you getting sick as well," Hishi said.   
Poni groaned as he threw open the metal door with his bending.   
"Firi, Rang, two-hand touch for now. We'll see if we have time for more intense training once Poni returns," she said.

* * *

I'm the Avatar, you gotta deal with it!  
A voice rang through Maku's head. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he hunched over the toilet, spewing up a combination of blood and breakfast.  
"I'm the Avatar, you gotta deal with it!"   
A voice rang through Maku's head. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he hunched over the toilet and spewed up a combination of blood and breakfast.  
"I thought Aang ordered the White Lotus to keep me down here?" The voice called again.   
"We all did what we thought was best for you," a different voice said.   
"Who I train with should be my decision, Dad, not yours or Tenzin's," the first voice said angrily.   
Maku fell onto his back and groaned.   
"Get this stuff out of me!" He shouted in frustration.   
He pulled himself to his feet and leaned against his bed. His vision swayed and twirled as he tried to regain focus.   
"You have to get out of here," the voice returned.   
"What?" Maku called out. He balanced himself and looked around his room.   
"We're so close. You just need to escape! Escape!" The voice shouted.   
A loud crash rattled Maku's bones and sent him to the floor.   
The crash sounded again and again, over and over and over.

A knock at the door.   
"Don't come in!" Maku shouted with a rasp in his voice.  
"Hishi wanted me to check on you!" Poni shouted. The doorknob turned.   
Maku threw his hand out. The doorknob crumpled like foil and the lock slammed shut.   
"Come down to the stone room if you're feeling better, we can't spar until you do!" Poni shouted.  
Maku leapt to his feet. His vision went dark as his soul left his body.   
"Maku?" Poni called out.   
The lock opened as the glow faded from Maku's eyes. The door swung out and knocked him down.  
Poni jumped back.   
"You...smell awful," he said.   
"I know. What do you want?" Maku said. He coughed up a splash of blood.   
"I'm getting Noda. You didn't say it was this bad this morning," Poni said.   
"It wasn't this bad this morning. Go get him," Maku said.   
Poni left to find Noda.   
Maku tried desperately to push himself to his feet, but failed over and over again.   
His vision faded as he fell one last time.

* * *

"Thanks for coming on short notice," Rohan said.   
"No problem, the children should be cleaning up soon. I told them to spar until they were tired," Hishi said.  
"How are they?"   
"They're progressing well, physically and mentally. Firi and I had our talk. She's a teenage girl, after all. I expect Maiza to have his talk with the boys soon,"  
"That's good."  
"Maku got sick this morning, vomiting and a fever, but nothing serious."  
"Poor kid. I hope he's better by the week's end, don't want him to miss out on his birthday."  
The door creaked open.   
"Sorry I'm late, had some writing to finish up," Maiza said. He sat in his usual spot and leaned back in his chair.   
"You're fine, Maiza. Noda behind you?" Rohan asked.   
Noda entered.   
A voice cried out from behind him, "Master Noda!"  
Poni.   
Noda stepped back out of the meeting room.   
"What is it, Poni?" he asked.   
"Maku is really sick, he was coughing up blood when I saw him," Poni said.   
Noda leaned back and poked his head into the meeting room.   
Hishi stepped out of the meeting room.   
"Go get the others and wait in the pool room, we can't risk anybody else getting sick," she said.   
Poni nodded and left the hallway.   
"Rohan, we've got a-"  
"I heard. Let's all go see Maku, just in case Noda needs some extra help," Rohan said.   
The four made their way to Maku's room.   
The boy was still unconscious in the doorway.   
"Maiza, get him on the bed. Hishi, block the door," Rohan said.   
"Block the door?" Hishi asked.   
"You heard me." Rohan said sternly.   
Maiza grabbed Maku by the waist and carried him to the bed.   
The floor tore up and formed a wall in the doorway.   
"Why are we blocking the door, Rohan?" Noda asked. His eye twitched.   
The lights went out.   
"Your mind is yours again. Codeword: Executive."  
The room froze.   
"Four years already?" Maiza said, "it's hard to believe."  
"Noda, hold off on healing for a moment," Rohan said.   
"Tell us what you got," Hishi said.   
"It's all written down here," Rohan said. He lifted his shirt and pulled three pieces of paper out of his waistband.   
Maiza took the piece of paper with his name on it.   
"Of all the plans, all the missions, this is what we're doing?" he asked.   
"It's the only plan that'll work. Phase one starts tonight," Rohan said.   
"Tonight? I can't leave with Maku in this state," Hishi said.   
"You'll have to. Every day we wait just risks him more and more," Rohan said.   
Hishi looked down at Maku on the bed. Pale, cold, and barely breathing. She looked at her assignment.   
"I guess we're doing it," Hishi said.   
"You're sure you want to?" Maiza asked.   
"It's for him," Hishi said.  
"Hide the papers, review them only when you know you're safe. Head out tonight, be back in the morning,"  
"Got it," Maiza said, "I've always wanted to meet a Grand Lotus."

* * *

"So, who's taking who?" Maiza asked.  
"What?" Hishi asked.   
"I assumed we were splitting up. One of us heads to the meeting, one of us visits the other-"  
"It's up to you, really. I'm not exactly happy with either." Hishi said. She crossed her arms and reclined her car seat.   
"I figured you'd be happy to get some action. We haven't had a mission since our last brush with the Red." Maiza said. He struggled to keep his gaze on the road.   
"I don't know if I want the action, to be honest. Once Rohan cleans up my head, am I going to be the same person? Will I regret the fighting and the killing?"  
"If we want to be able to regret our actions at all, we have to do this." Maiza said sternly. He reached across his seat and took Hishi's hand.   
"We'll be okay, alright? We always have. No matter how every mission went, we were okay. This isn't any different." Maiza said.   
"It is! It is so different!" Hishi said, her voice rising.   
"Maybe that's okay," Maiza said. He adjusted his steering hand.   
"It isn't," Hishi said. She pulled her hand away from Maiza.   
Maiza steered the car to the side of the road stopped the engine.   
"Why are we stopping?" Hishi asked.   
"You don't want to do the mission, we can leave right now. We can run off into the woods and start a new life. We just have to hope Rohan never finds us," Maiza said.   
"You're ridiculous."  
"We could go, just me and you. I kind of like the idea, honestly. Running naked through the woods, building houses out of dirt? It's appealing."  
Hishi chuckled softly.   
"We can't do that," she said.   
"Why not? If you don't want to do the mission, we don't have to. I'm willing to do anything you want to."  
A laugh escaped from Hishi's throat as a tear ran down her face.   
"I want to go wherever you go," she said.   
"I want to find out who we are and go from there," Maiza said. He reached out and squeezed her hand.   
"We'll figure things out?"  
"We'll figure things out. I promise."  
Hishi let out a sigh of relief.   
"Okay," she said, "who's taking who?"  
"I'll go to the meeting, you meet Grumpy in his house," Maiza said. He started the car and pulled back onto the road.   
"Where we meeting?"   
"Remember our first date?"

* * *

"You really don't have to be so formal around me," Rohan said.   
"It's a habit from our early years," Noda said. He pressed his water-covered hands against Maku's forehead.   
"What do you think is wrong with him?"   
"Seems like the flu, but the blood is worrying. Perhaps internal trauma from training, but I doubt any of the children would do this much damage without remorse."  
Maku's eyes fluttered open. His eyes glowed faintly before his eyelids fell shut once more.   
Noda froze.   
"That's a problem," Rohan said.   
"It would seem so." Noda said.   
"Stand back. This is about to get bad," Rohan said. He pushed Noda back.   
Rohan closed his eyes, focusing as hard as he could.  
The lights went out.   
He raised his hands above Maku. Air began to swirl around him.   
"Rohan, you-"  
"We can talk about it later," Rohan said.   
The air flowed out of Maku's mouth like water, restricting any air from flowing back in. Maku groaned in pain.   
"What are you doing?" Noda shouted. He leaped forward and grabbed Rohan's arm.   
"Be careful. Check his eyes."  
Noda lifted open Maku's eyelid. His eyes burned a furious white.   
"It's the Avatar Spirit. It's trying to activate, but our programming is fighting against it. It's fighting against Maku's body," Rohan explained.   
"When I tried redirecting his chi to his throat, something fought against me. It's her," Noda said, "It's Korra."  
The pair stood in silence as the air returned to Maku's lungs and his eyes dimmed.   
"What do we do?" Noda asked.   
"We have to expedite the plan. Once Maiza and Hishi are back, we'll give notice to the Lotuses. We don't have long before something goes awry."   
"Alright, that works."  
"Are you ready for the plan, Noda?"  
"I'm ready to get my mind back."  
"Good. You will, I promise."

* * *

"Let me out!" Maku screamed. He drifted in a black void, the only semblance of movement being the air drifting around him.   
"You have to listen to me, Maku." A voice called out.   
"No! You're not real!" Maku shouted.   
A glowing sphere drifted through the void toward Maku. It slowly formed into a new shape, significantly more human.   
"Who are you?" Maku called out.   
Maku faced himself.  
A version of himself, bathed in blue light.   
"You're not safe here," His copy said in a voice that was not his.   
"Who are you?" Maku said. He lunged forward and grabbed the glowing copy. The two twirled and swirled through the void as the glowing copy stretched and distorted.   
"I'm trying to protect you!" The copy shouted.   
Maku gripped the copy's hair and pulled as hard as he could. The copy's neck stretched and stretched until it was several feet long.   
"Who are you?" Maku shouted.   
The copy changed its form once again, to that of a woman.   
"Korra?" Maku called out.   
"Finally! You understand!" Korra shouted, "You're not going to remember any of this when you wake up, not until they undo your brainwashing."  
"I'm the Avatar," Maku mumbled. He took a sharp breath as memories flooded his mind.   
"Yes, you got it! You have to let me take control, enter the Avatar State! It's the only way for us to be free!" Korra shouted.   
"How?" Maku asked.   
"How?" Korra's voice boomed through the void, "You've done it before, it's easy!"   
"I don't know how I did it last time," Maku said.   
Korra's face twisted into a frown.   
"It looks like we're stuck for a while," she said.   
"I'm sorry," Maku mumbled.   
"It's alright, Maku."  
"It's alright?"  
"It's alright."


	5. The Twin Lotuses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hishi and Maiza split up and attend to their missions.

The Jasmine Dragon.   
Servers bustled in and out of the kitchen. Lanterns hung every few feet, illuminating the shop in a warm light.   
"I never knew you were a fan of ginseng," Hishi said.   
Maiza's face twisted into a cringe as he sipped his tea.   
"I'm not," he said, "I just wanted to try something new."  
"We should get to work soon, don't want to keep them waiting," Hishi said.   
"Five more minutes?"   
"Maiza, we really-"  
"I'll buy you cake."  
Hishi contemplated her options.   
"Five more minutes," she said with a smile, "but only five."  
Maiza chuckled and called the server to the table.   
"You need to shave," Hishi said.   
"What, don't like the beard?"   
"It's hardly a beard. You can't grow facial hair."  
"I could! All the good firebending masters have a mustache, at least."  
"I wouldn't exactly call you a master."  
"You're talking to someone who can generate lightning without even moving. I'm a master."  
"Master of one technique."  
"You're awful cocky for someone who can't generate their own element," Maiza said as two slices of cake slid across the table.   
"After this is done, you and I are dueling, two-hand touch," Hishi said.   
"You're on."  
Hishi checked her watch.   
"You're running low on time, firebending master," she said.   
Maiza groaned.   
"I don't want to leave my cake," he said.   
"I'll get a bag. Back here in three hours?" Hishi suggested.   
"Give me four. If I'm not back by then, wipe the place clean," Maiza said.   
"Good luck, don't get hurt too bad," Hishi said.   
"No promises."

* * *

"What's the password?" A scratchy voice asked through the door.   
"Persona," Maiza said.   
The door slid open. Maiza stepped inside, popping his collar up around his face.   
The warehouse was dimly lit. Groups of Ba Sing Se citizens and visitors alike stood in clumps around the room. A wooden stage, clearly handmade, sat at the end of the warehouse. An image was painted on the back of the stage: a lotus tile from a Pai Sho set, dyed red.   
"You new here?" A voice called out, catching Maiza off-guard. He spun on his heel to come face-to-face with the voice.   
"Yeah, first time. You lot are hard to find," he said.   
A pale woman stood before him. Black leather adorned with red fur covered her body.   
"That's the point. President Maahan has been rather tough on our organization since the actions of one of our sister groups a few years ago," she said," I'm Shuza."  
"Zuko," Maiza said, "I always get that look. Mom was a big fan of history, named all my brothers and I after fire lords."  
"It's good to meet you, Zuko. If you stay after the presentation, I might be able to teach you a little more about our organization," Shuza said. She waved goodbye and stepped into a forming crowd.  
A spotlight spun and locked on a man standing on the stage. His voice boomed through the warehouse.   
"Welcome, all! We're so happy to have you. For those of you who are new, we ask that you come to the front so that we can get a good look at you. Our meetings are intended to be friendly and peaceful, and we won't accept any rowdy behavior unless the situation really calls for it," he said.   
The crowd began to ripple as new members were pushed to the front. A palm placed itself on Maiza's back and gave him an encouraging push. He stepped forward and weaved his way to the front.   
"Returning members, rejoice! Our bounty of initiates is plentiful. Now, on to the main event!" The man on the stage shouted. The lights dimmed as a fog rolled across the stage.   
"We've got quite a treat for you tonight, ladies and gentlemen! Returning from her voyage to the North Pole, clad in the darkest leather she could find, I am proud to present," the man paused. He grinned as he looked around the crowd.  
"Shuza!"   
In a swirling tornado of fog, Shuza emerged from behind the curtain. The crowd roared in applause.   
"I'm so glad to have you all here tonight! How are we, how are we?" Shuza said. A cloud of fog followed her and small shards of ice clung to her leather jacket.   
She ran up and down the stage, pulling the attention of the crowd from one side to the other.   
"I've had the chance to hear your feedback since last month, and I'm here to guide you on the path to a more perfect world! First, let's get to know each other a little, eh?" Shuza said.   
She pointed at the crowd and scanned the front row.   
"Don't do it," Maiza muttered.   
"Maiza, get up here!" Shuza shouted.   
The crowd jostled Maiza until he stepped forward. Shuza reached out and helped Maiza onto the stage.   
"Why are you here tonight, Maiza? Be loud and be proud!" Shuza said.   
Maiza took a deep breath.   
"I know where the Avatar is, and I can get you inside," he said plainly.   
The crowd froze.  
"You...you what?" Shuza asked. Her confidence faltered.   
"President Maahan is keeping the Avatar locked up in a secret facility, and I can get you inside. I work there," Maiza said. He looked around for a reaction, but the crowd remained neutral.   
Shuza put her arm around Maiza and leaned against him.   
"You're quite the visitor, yeah? Why don't we have a little private discussion in my office after the festivities?" She said.   
Maiza grinned as he was dragged off the stage and thrown into a cramped room in the back of the warehouse. 

* * *

  
Hishi rolled as she hit the ground. She reached behind her and bent the barbed wire back to its previous position with her bending.   
"No problem," she muttered. Blood dripped from a cut on her calf.   
The garden was dark, the only light coming from the streetlights on the other side of the barbed wire fence.   
No guards. No cameras.   
Hishi dashed across the garden. The ground beneath her feet rippled like water.  
Statues of previous Avatars adorned the garden. A pedestal sat ahead of Hishi, ready for a statue of the new Avatar.   
She jumped into the air and bounced off of the soil. She dug her hands into the stone wall in front of her, the stone molding around her fingertips.   
The wall opened up. Hishi pushed herself through the hole in the wall only to be met with a thick layer of metal. Shiny, cold metal.   
Platinum.   
The hole in the wall closed. Hishi climbed until she could surmount the wall.   
Six White Lotus sentries patrolled the yard. A small hut sat on the far side, made of wood.  
"How we doing this?" Hishi asked herself.   
She dropped to the backside of the wall and hung there as she rummaged through her pockets.   
She pulled out six knives, hooked together with metal wires.   
Hishi glanced over the wall and back to her knives.  
"Fine," she whispered. She put her knives away and flipped over the wall.   
She landed in the center of the yard.   
"I don't want to hurt anyone. Take me to your boss!" She shouted.   
Metal cuffs clasped themselves around her hands.   
"Seriously? We're doing this the hard way?" She said.   
The sentries approached her cautiously. Metal cuffs flew from one of the sentry's hands and bound Hishi's feet together.   
"You don't know what you're up against," she said.   
The sentries looked at each other and smiled.   
"You the only one?" One of the sentries asked.   
"Yeah, only one," Hishi said.   
Her metal cuffs tore themselves to shreds and scattered in every direction. Metal shards embedded themselves in the sentries.   
The ground below Hishi opened up and swallowed her.   
"Where'd she go? Find her!" The sentry shouted. 

The door to the wooden hut burst open.  
"What's with all the noise?" A rotund, old man shouted. He wore a long, flowing robe that accentuated his stomach and his chest.   
"Intruder!" The sentry yelled. He ran across the yard and took post in front of the old man.   
The ground ripped open and swallowed the sentry beneath its surface.   
"She got Ping!" A sentry shouted.   
"Relax, relax," the old man said, "I can handle this."  
He lifted his robe, exposing his feet. He took a wide stance and stomped.   
Two pillars rose from the ground and opened up, spitting Hishi and a sentry onto the ground.   
The remaining five sentries rushed to capture Hishi but were held back by the old man.   
"Ping!" He shouted.   
"Yes, sir?" Ping asked.   
"What was the first thing out visitor said when she got here?"  
"I can't remember, sir," Ping said.   
"She didn't want to hurt anyone, take her to your boss! Yet you attacked her. You didn't try to defuse the situation, and in doing so, you have failed in your job as keepers of the peace!".   
Hishi stood up and smiled. The old man approached her.   
"Grand Lotus Po, it's an honor to meet you," Hishi said with a bow.   
"You could have just scheduled an appointment," Po said.   
"It was an emergency. Can we talk in private?"   
"Of course," Po said. 

* * *

"So, you're a Grand Lotus?" Maiza asked.   
"We don't use that title here," Shuza said, "we're all equal."   
The room stank of mildew and smoke. Maiza sat in a worn leather chair across from Shuza's desk. Shuza sat on top of the desk, swinging her legs back and forth.   
"You got a phone, Shuza?" Maiza asked.   
"I'll be asking the questions," she said.   
Maiza leaned back in his chair.   
"Ask away," he said.   
"Who are you, really?"  
"You want the abridged or unabridged version?"  
Shuza tilted her head.  
"Abridged," she said slowly.   
"I was kidnapped by bandits as a child, raised to firebend by them. Ended up working for the big man, teaching the Avatar. Got a girlfriend, killed some people, now we're here," Maiza explained.   
"Why tell me this?"  
"I hate the president and everything he wants to do. I need your group to attack our compound, help me and my friends get away."  
"What's he want to do?"  
"Use the Avatar as a weapon. He's trying to reuinite the Earth Kingdom. Imagine Kuvira, but with an Avatar on here side," Maiza said.   
"That's a problem. That's a problem for everyone. We can work out the logistics soon, but yeah, we're on the same side," Shuza said.   
"That was easier than I thought," Maiza said with a sigh.   
"You going to take the shot?"  
"What?"  
"You or me, who's taking out the Avatar?"  
"I'll do it," Maiza stuttered.   
"Good. I'd feel bad killing a kid," Shuza said. She reached into her desk and pulled out a pen and paper.   
"Here's my number," she said, "call me with the details when you can. I have to get back to my people. Our people."  
Shuza hopped off of her desk and left the office.   
Maiza stuffed the phone number in his pocket and checked his watch.   
Almost time to go. 

* * *

"It's the Avatar, Po! You have to do something!" Hishi shouted.   
"I don't. We've heard plenty of false Avatar reports. President Maahan keeping the Avatar captive? Come now, that's ridiculous," the Grand Lotus said.   
"You could just show up and see it yourself! Why else would the government have a building in the middle of the forest?"   
"It could easily be a military training facility that the president is attempting to keep a secret. A hidden defense force."  
"What will it take to convince you?" Hishi asked.   
"A photo? A mover? Anything that shows the Avatar is there?" Po said.   
"Isn't my word enough? You don't exactly have a better lead," she insisted.   
"We do. We've obtained photos of a young man in the south who was able to simultaneously earthbend and firebend," Po said.   
"What?"  
"I'd show you, but it's rather confidential. Surely you understand."  
Hishi gritted her teeth.   
"That can't be possible! I've seen the Avatar in action!" She shouted.   
"Unless you can give me evidence, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Po said.   
"Fine," Hishi said, "but when the Red Lotus gets to him first, it will be your fault."  
Po's eyes shot open.   
"The Red Lotus knows where he is?" He asked.   
"We've been attacked by them once before. We know they're coming again, and soon," Hishi said.   
"I can't promise the full force of the White Lotus, but I can promise that I will lead a defense force when the time comes," Po said.   
"You're serious?" Hishi asked.   
"If the Red Lotus believes that's where the Avatar is located, then it's likely you are telling the truth. I'll give you my emergency phone line. Give me a call when we're needed," Po said.  
"Thank you, Grand Lotus," Hishi said with a bow.   
Hishi checked her watch.   
Time to go. 


End file.
